Community leaders and local public sector projects need to engage with their communities and transform social communication from mere contact to meaningful engagement by leveraging the Social Customer Relationship Management (CRM) model used by almost every existing business.

What is Social CRM?

Social CRM is about finding and understanding community stakeholders who spend time online and applying that knowledge toward better interactions that resonate with the whole community. Observing interactions on social media platforms and services like NextDoor, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Citizen App and more can tell you a lot about who is in the community, what they care about, and how to approach them in a campaign. It’s not dissimilar from the data gathering performed by countless businesses to inform marketing, but in this use is oriented toward identifying the best way to tell a project’s story. The challenge is in listening and analyzing what stakeholders say without becoming overwhelmed by data. The right tools, such as IQ CRM, OpenGov, and Salesforce Government Cloud can consolidate and comb through multiple social media outlets, filtering the firehose of data into a gentle stream of useful knowledge.

With Social CRM, public engagement efforts can accomplish many goals. Here are just some of the ways Social CRM can be leveraged:

Organize stakeholder lists by category and interest and the social media platforms they frequent. Tailor marketing and outreach to the groups found on each platform.
Avoid wasting resources on promotions the targeted groups will never see
Identify and counter disinformation, clarify details and preemptively address potential community concerns

These are just a few ways Social CRM can set you up for success and inform outreach decisions. Once you get started, your team will likely find the data useful for any number of projects and programs.

What are the benefits of Social CRM?

There are many advantages to integrating Social CRM into your strategy—here are three:

Faster response times. Issues that come up during public meetings have likely been mentioned previously—and repeatedly—on social media. Social CRM can make your team aware of problem areas sooner, enabling them to prepare responses that can resolve concerns.
More inclusive approaches. Understanding the whole audience is a first step in equitable, inclusive strategies. Social CRM can help identify the broadest definition of your stakeholders to help make sure no one is left out of the conversation.
Picking out influencers. Find out whose voice people listen for and seek out online, learn their concerns and cultivate an ally for your shared goals.

Hear the Audience

Listening is the foundation of good communication, and in 2021, actively listening to voices on social media is key to shaping your messages to each digital realm and the stakeholders who spend time there. Campaigns that leverage Social CRM can respond to the shifting online conversation and effectively encourage active engagement that helps meet the goals of civic planning projects.

Give us a call and schedule a consultation today.

Arch Street Communications

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160 Wildey Street, Tarrytown, NY 10591
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